TIL that my cheap chisels were sabotaging my mortise and tenon joints

Matthew Carter · 2026-02-22T22:40:30.737802+00:00

Invest in quality steel; your joinery will thank you.

The part about less tearing out on end grain... yeah, that was my breaking point too. Finally caved and got some better steel, and suddenly my joints aren't embarrassing.

6

drewn297mo ago

Switched to some Japanese chisels with laminated steel after struggling with cheap ones. The difference was instant, with cleaner cuts and less tearing out on the end grain. Took a week to dial in the sharpening, but now my mortise walls are dead straight. What did you upgrade to?

5

morgan_taylor337mo ago

What sharpening method did you use for those Japanese chisels, @drewn29? I switched to O1 steel and the edge retention transformed my joinery.

5